


The Company That You Keep

by midnitestar421



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: 9YL AU, Affairs, Angst, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Love Confessions, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Some Fluff, Teenage Hormones, Time Skips, but i promise you will feel all feels, karmagisa - Freeform, slight karmanami, you will probably hate me if you like okuda manami
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-08-19 19:53:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8222905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnitestar421/pseuds/midnitestar421
Summary: All I wanted was a marriage that was something more...All I wanted was for him to finally be mine... And all he wanted was for me to forgive him...But love was never that easy. Could we all finally get the love that we deserved? Multiple POV's. 9YL AU. Karamgisa AND slight Karmanami.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by Selena Gomez's "Perfect". A great song to listen to during this chapter :)

_**All I wanted was a marriage that was something more...** _

* * *

**Present**

The front door opens. And closes.

I open my eyes to find the glowing of the clock displaying the time.

1:30 in the morning.

Another late night at the office.

The floor creaks as he nears our shared bedroom.

I turn so I can watch him enter.

I want to see him…again…like this.

My eyes are trained onto the door as the knob opens and he walks into the moonlit room.

He doesn't look at me of course.

Instead his eyes are down, already slipping off his loosened red tie.

His dark grey suit jacket slips off next and onto the floor so carelessly that I want to scold him for it. 

But I bite my tongue instead, watching him unbutton his white dress shirt.

One by one the buttons come undone, revealing more and more of my beloved's pale skin.

He turns so his back is facing me, as if he wants me to see what I already know is there.

The shirt litters the floor next and my eyes widen. 

Fresh and angry red nail marks bite his skin from his shoulder blades and down his muscular back.

At least they cover the ones from last week.

I watch as the one I love unbuckles his belt next, his dress pants sagging around his hips.

I press my thighs together, feeling warm from simply staring at his long and lean frame.

I can't help myself, he is naturally gorgeous. 

His pants fall down along with his boxers briefs which he quickly picks up and shoves into the hamper.

Like I won't notice the white stain later when I go to do wash tomorrow.

He's facing our shared bed now giving me a full view of his perfect, taunt body.

How did I get so lucky? I think.

Then I notice the red marks trailing across the V of his hips and I know my luck has run out.

A flash of red hair moves towards the dresser, and his body is already covered with new boxers and an old high school t-shirt before he climbs into bed next to me.

He lays on his back, his arms folded behind his shaggy hair, his golden eyes closed, and a content look on his face.

He still doesn't know I'm awake.

Or he does and he simply doesn't care.

He used to try to care though.

Used to try and hide when he came home late.

Back then I remember thinking how cruel he was for trying to hide it.

Now I realize I had it good back then. Back when he still cared.

I stir next to him purposely and put an arm around his broad chest.

To get a reaction from him.

Sometimes I do.

Sometimes I don't.

Tonight he pretends to be sleeping but doesn't move away from me.

Then I smell it….

And it's not perfume.

I think I would be happier if it was perfume.

Then I would feel just a bit better about what my husband was doing during these late nights.

Just a bit.

But I'm not stupid.


	2. Chapter 2

The late "work" nights started roughly 4 months ago.

Just right after we celebrated our second year of marriage.

At first, they were few and far between.

So I never thought anything of it.

Besides, I was so busy in my own line of work,

Working on a new cure here,

And creating a new formula there;

That I hadn't bothered to notice my new husband's behavior.

But I should have.

He did try to tell me.

But I didn't hear it.

All I heard was an old friend had come into town.

An old friend from our old middle school 3-E class.

What I didn't know was that this old friend would be staying in town.

Nor did I know how much my husband was actually seeing this old friend.

I had my suspicions though. 

So one day I decided to surprise him at work, at lunch time with a packed bento box in hand.

"Mr. Akabane is out of the office for lunch. Would you like to wait here for him or should I send for a car to have you taken to his location, Mrs. Akabane?"

His secretary smiled up at me…with what looked like pity in her green eyes.

I swallowed my pride and asked for his location.

It was only a 10 minute walk away so I decided to take the fresh air.

Just my luck, it started to rain when I walked out onto the sidewalk.

I was smart enough to bring the red umbrella though.

The red umbrella Karma had bought me for my birthday last year.

Always something practical, like every birthday gift before that.

Never romantic.

I folded it back up once I made my way into the café, the bell chiming, announcing my arrival.

It was fairly crowded due to the lunch rush so I quickly made my way to a corner table.

My purple eyes frantically looked around, hoping I did not miss him by chance.

But then I heard it.

His dark, sexy laugh.

I soon spotted him, his red hair giving him away as he threw his head back, laughing at whatever his companion had said to him.

He was seated in a booth just tables away.

I crouched behind the café menu, my eyes still on him.

Once he was done laughing, he straightened up as the waiter came by to drop off another coffee for him and a latte in front of whomever is opposite of him.

The latte makes me curious as to who his lunch friend was. A woman? A fellow co-worker? The old friend?

Karma's eyes never left his companion's, a genuine smile plastered across his face.

I can tell by the look in his golden eyes just how happy he was.

God, I missed that.

I couldn't even remember the last time he smiled and laughed with me like that.

Perhaps when we first got married?

Had it really been that long?

I closed my eyes actually trying to remember the early days.

And then a sad thought crossed my mind.

Had he _ever_ smiled at me like that?

"Excuse miss, are you ready to order?"

I looked up from my position, shoulders hunched, to find the same waiter standing above my table.

"Um...just…just a tall coffee. Black please."

He took my order and scurried off.

Just in time for me to hear the bell chime, catching a flash of red hair walking out the door, the coffee and latte still at the table.

I stood to catch up to the waiter who was just about to pour my coffee.

I put my money down on the counter.

"Make that to go please"

I made my way out of the café quickly after that, trying to catch up to my husband,

Noticing that the rain had stopped.

I caught his red head moving through the crowd as I pushed and shoved my own way through.

I still could not get a good look at whoever was on the right side of him, they were…that short, I supposed.

A few more steps though as I was two people away from knowing.

Knowing who the short, latte drinker was who had made my husband smile like that.

Then suddenly, they disappeared in between buildings.

And I found myself peeking around the corner to finally get a good look.

But before the gasp even came out, I had already covered my mouth.

There was my husband pinning his shorter companion against the brick of the building, his lips pressed against the other's so passionately, I had to look away to catch my breath.

"Karma…"

My stomach dropped in response to hearing his name being moaned out loud like that.

"Shh, I'm sorry about our coffees, I just couldn't keep my hands off of you for a second longer. I thought I was gonna explode in there."

"Hee, hee, still so impulsive, Karma-kun."

For the next several minutes, all I heard was the sound of their lips smacking together, with tiny moans escaping here and there.

I kept standing there, frozen in place, with my back turned.

Til their hushed giggles rang out into the air, like two high school lovers.

And then the sound of rushed footsteps going farther away from me. 

When I dared to turn back around, they were running deeper into the alleyway, holding hands, Karma leading them.

And that's when I caught the sight of the sky blue hair bouncing right behind my beloved red head.

And that's when I realized that I had left my umbrella and bento box at the café.

The to-go coffee was still sitting on the cafe counter too. 

Thank god it stopped raining.

Thank god they didn't see me standing there,

Watching pathetically, as my husband ran away.


	3. Chapter 3

_**All I wanted was for him to be mine...** _

* * *

 

 

**4 Months Ago.**  

It was just another typical Friday morning.

I was picking up my daily morning coffee and newspaper from the nearby convenience store.

Of course the line was quite long when I needed to be to work in 5 minutes but hey my pile of work on top of my desk wasn't going anywhere.

My secretary could handle any inbound calls. That was her job.

I did almost debate on just walking up to the counter and throwing my money down since I knew the owner anyways. 

But then, I noticed something out of place.

The regulars were all here, most of us were wearing practically the same suit and tie getup as the other.

It made me want to vomit a little at how much we all looked the same.

We were such sheep.

But on that particular morning, second in line from the counter, was a customer I hadn't noticed there before.

And I can say this (sadly) with confidence for after the last two years of going to the same convenience store at the same time as the rest of schmucks working in Tokyo's business district...

...I had never seen an ass like _that_ waiting in line.

An ass so round and plumped to perfection, it took all my will power to not get half-mass right there in line.

Yes, I'm a married man but I'm still a man. I can't help it.

Thank God for thick, black dress pants, I thought as I covered my blushing red face with the newspaper.

Were did those teenage hormones come from anyway? I was 24 years old for crying out loud.

The plumped ass was now making its way out the door when I finally decided to look up and acknowledge their face.

And then it happened.

"Sir? Sir? Are you okay?"

The coffee I was holding, dropped, along with my jaw.

"Sir?"

In a sudden daze, I walked out of the line, stepping over the spilled coffee and newspaper and went out the door.

"Oi!"

There was no stopping me as I followed the unusually customer with the unusually colored hair.

Sky blue hair to be exact.

The same color hair as… _his_.

I smacked my cheeks, thinking it was a dream.

It couldn't be him.

He was living outside of the city limits last I knew.

Far away, for good.

Or so I thought.

Yet, he was the only one I knew with that bright natural hair color.

But this guy's hair was cut short.

Nice and neat.

Unlike his.

Or so I thought.

My target was now stopped at the crosswalk right before my work's building.

This was my cue to get a closer look.

I swiftly made my way right behind him, his head just mere inches away from my chin.

He was...that short.

And then I couldn't help myself.

I took a big breath, hoping to get a whiff of his scent.

To truly designate that it wasn't _him_.

His scent was always the same, a sweet musk about him.

A scent that caught me off guard over and over again during our years spent together.

I really couldn't imagine my bluenette having any other scent on him.

Or so I thought.

The crosswalk sign turned from red to green,

And I went to walk to keep up with this particular bluenette.

But then…

"Omph!"

I had walked right smack into him.

"E-excuse me sir, I'm sorry about."

Did I just stutter?

My thoughts were cut short as he turned to face me,

And curious bright blue eyes looked up at me.

I swallowed. Hard.

"K-karma….is that…you?"

Shit.

There we stood as people kept walking passed us.

Some on the right. Some on the left. 

Like a stand still shot in one of those romcom movies that I loathed. 

Like we were the only two stuck in time in that space of the sidewalk. 

Like we were the only two that mattered in that brief moment between the hustle and bustle of the city around us. 

The only two in color.

Me as red.

And him as blue.

Until…

"Oi! Akabane! You gonna come back and respectively pay for that coffee and newspaper you dropped?"

I turned to find the store manager's grimy face right in mine.

I blinked twice.

Then pulled the exact change out from pocket and tossed it at him.

"You really came all this way just for this? You should know me by now Ren, I know how much up charge you have on that black sludge you call coffee. Don't forget who you're talking to," I sneered back before I turned back to finally respond to...

But the bluenette was gone, just as quickly as he came that morning.

Abruptly interrupting my surroundings, my boring routine,

And my life.

After that bizarre morning, I tried to forget him.

Forget his damned beautiful blue eyes,

His damned innocent face,

And that damned perky ass.

_Sigh._

Just like I had to years ago.

I knew I had probably scared him off, with practically stalking him and then running right into him.

But I needed to know.

And when I have my mind set on something, I am an impatient brat and need to know right away.

Whatever.

Perhaps, that would be the last of him.

Maybe it was just a coincidence walking into him.

Or so I thought.


	4. Chapter 4

 

  _ **All I wanted was for him to be mine...**_

* * *

 

**High School. 2nd Year.**

This summer was becoming a scorcher.

With little rain to relieve the air temperature, the humidity did what it did best,

And stuck to our hot skin, the shirts on our backs damp with sweat.

Which was why we were currently hiding under the shade of a large oak tree,

Vanilla ice cream in our hands.

Just the sounds of us licking and slurping away could be heard, no words could come out quick enough.

Or we would be left with nothing but a puddle of ice cream on the ground.

And then our attempt to cool down would be for nothing.

So there we sat, side by side in our comfortable silence.

I was quite focused on my ice cream cone, constantly lapping up the sweet cream.

Until I looked over at my ice cream licking companion and almost dropped my cone.

I gulped, mesmerized by him.

His eyes were closed, his blue twintails moving slightly with each innocent yet long lick.

He was taking such good care of it, with each flick of his tongue,

Like he would hurt the sweet treat if he went any faster.

I felt my cheeks grow hot just watching him and knew I was losing my grip.

It didn’t help that I had just turned 17 that Christmas.

And along with the sudden need to adult, also came the sudden raging hormones.

I mean, I wasn’t naïve to these hormones to say the least

But it felt like with every year as I grew older,

My hormones’ hunger also grew in large quantities.

Especially since, after kissing on a few girls, I found out that I wasn’t really into them like that.

I mean, I tried but nothing ever happened.

No butterflies, no weak in the knee feelings, no heat, nothing at all like that.

I thought something was wrong with me, like I had been wired differently than my peers.

That is until I felt the butterflies and heat around a certain someone…

But it was a certain someone I could never imagine allowing me to kiss or touch them in the way I wanted to.  

So unlike most guys my age who were sexually experimenting behind closed doors and under the bleachers, I was growing… frustrated.

And the pinnacle of my pent up frustrations was sitting right next to me and just so happened to be my best friend.

Specifically, my best guy friend.

Yup, knew I was wired differently.

But he was…so much more than that, I thought as I watched him happily licking away at his ice cream.

From the time we met, he had always been my weakness.

Since he had somehow managed to sneak his way past my most inner built up walls.

Because with each passing day of spending more time together,

And with every laugh, every smile and every glance my way;

He had brought down every single one of those walls.

Not once showing fear but rather a persistence to be closer to me.

Which only scared the shit out of me, honestly.

I mean, no one had ever dared to try to do get that close to me before.

I was the school’s infamous delinquent.

Known for beating up kids bigger than me to a bloody pulp.

And I quite enjoyed it too.

Until one day, I saw the horror in his eyes when he witnessed one of those gruesome fights.

He tried to hide it from me as he helped the two guys I had just struck down,

Smiling up at me like it was no big deal.

But it was.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, I had, for the first time, made him nervous.

And for the first time in my life, I wanted to change my delinquent ways.

Which scared the shit out of me even more.

“Karma?”

I snapped out of my daze the moment his big blue eyes met my gaze.

His ice cream was gone,

And mine was now dripping down my hand.

“D-dammit,” I stammered, looking around for something to wipe my hand on.

He giggled that damn adorable giggle he had as he watched me struggle.

I sighed and decided to just wipe my hand on my grey shorts.

They were dirty from sitting on the ground anyways.

He was still giggling when I looked back at him.

That’s when I noticed a bit of ice cream left on his cheek,

A devious thought began to plot into my mind.

And without even thinking about the consequences,

I leaned over and licked it off of him.

Innocently, of course.

“Ka-karma! Wh-what are you doing?”

_Just letting the hormones get the best of me._

But I couldn’t say that out loud without freaking him out.

He wasn’t ready for that….yet.

So I went for one of my usual remarks instead.

“Ho, ho, did I startle the little mouse? I was only getting the ice cream you left behind. Can’t a guy do his best friend a favor?”

A crimson color bloomed across his cheeks as he pushed me away quickly.

“Y-you could have just told me, Karma. You didn’t h-have…to do..t-that.”

Damn, he was so cute when he got all flustered like that.

It was definitely worth whatever harassment I had coming.

I chuckled at the site of him, getting up from the ground, and dusting off my shorts in the process.

I turned away from him before he could see me blushing just as much as he was.

“But what if I wanted to do just that, Na-gi-sa? Ever thought about that, hmmmm?” I teased.

With that ticking bomb of a question now placed in his head, I walked away from my best friend.

I knew I had gone too far that time but I was losing any small amount of self-restraint I had left.

I mean, four years was a long time to be secretly in love with your best friend.

But little did I know though that the next day, that bomb would go off and would alter just how far I could push my best friend’s buttons.

Before he would snap eventually snap too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *A two chapters in one day kind of day* Your'e welcome. This is my fluffy chapter, but more angst and drama to come!

 

_**All I want is for him to forgive me...** _

* * *

 

**High School. 2 nd Year. Next Day. **

"Karma, Can I ask you something?"

I looked over at my redheaded companion who was busy button smashing his 3DS.

He looked like he was losing whatever game he was playing, his eyes narrowing, and a scowl on his face.

So I sighed and turned back to watch the sun setting.

It was quite breathtaking view from the rooftop of our old 3-E satellite campus.

The mountains were hovering over us at a near distance, the same mountains we climbed as middle schoolers.

And the path leading up to the campus was surrounded by tall grass and wild flowers, threatening to take it over.

The classroom itself was pretty dusty and the walls needed a fresh coat of paint.

But overall, the place was still in good shape, the roof as sturdy as ever, even after almost 3 years.

And it had eventual become me and Karma’s usual Friday night hang out spot.

"Damn it."

I heard him click his tongue in frustration.

I turned back to find him putting his 3DS back in his backpack and then out came a strawberry milk.

Taking the straw out of the package, he punctured the milk box and began to suck it down.

"So….you wanted to ask me something?"

His eyes were closed as he enjoyed his drink.

And I almost didn't want to ruin the moment.

He looked so at ease and content.

The way his long frame leaned against the roof, one hand in his pocket like always.

But I couldn't wait any longer, I knew that much.

No, I had waited long enough to get my answers.

So I mustered up my courage and swallowed down whatever anxiety I had and went for it.

"About….yesterday….are you ever gonna tell me what…that was about?"

His eyes opened abruptly as he suddenly choked on his drink.

"Eh? What do you mean? I told you, I was helping a friend out," he choked, gaining his composure back.

But I pressed further, wanting to know more.

More of the truth that is.

"Karma…you  _know_ what I mean. Friends don't usually lick other friend's faces like that."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

So I continued.

"And….friends don't turn beet red after doing said favor…"

He didn't budge so I continued,

"…like you did. Karma,"

Causing another coughing fit.

Then…

"So?"

_So?!_

"So tell me the truth, Karma. What's going on with you? With…us?"

There it was.

The questioned I had been asking myself for the past three years.

The question I had been swallowing down over and over again like a horse pill that just won't go down.

The question that caught aflame every time Karma did something that caused me to blush.

Like when he first asked me to go see a Sonic Ninja movie back when he addressed as "Shiota".

Or whenever he complimented me on my bloodlust.

And when he decided to drop the honorifics between us and reached out for my hand.

Or when we went to outer space and he confessed he only went because _I_ had asked him too.

And when he held me after Korosensei died and let me fall asleep in his arms, in his bed.

Or when he proposed we spend every Friday up here on the rooftop to hang out, since we now went to different schools.

 _"Just so that we don’t drift apart like before,"_  he had said.

And every single time he had smiled at me, laughed my way, touched me or was just…near me,

I had blushed and felt something different happening between us.

And that elephant in the room was getting restless now.

My hands fidgeted in my lap, waiting for his response.

But all I got was silence.

So I pressed on.

"Karma, do you feel it too? Like…like there's something different about…me and you?"

He sighed audibly, his shoulders slumped.

I gulped, not ready for his response.

"Ah, Nagisa, Nagisa, you're gonna make me come out and just say it, huh? Very well…"

He slid his body closer to mine, his upper body tilted towards me.

I blushed harder and look down at my restless hands.

But then there was a finger under my chin and golden eyes gazing intently into mine.

"Just remember, you always force me to make the first move," he whispered.

And then his lips were suddenly on mine.

Causing my nerves to go into shock, shivers going through my head to my fingertips.

He tasted like…strawberry milk and I found myself wanting more.

He poked his tongue between my lips and I immediately let him in further, feeling his tongue with mine.

I was losing my grip, and I didn't care.

It was by far the best kiss I had ever experienced.

Much better than the one I gave Kayano.

Even more lustful than Bitch-sensei's.

Everything about it screamed how he felt about me.

And I was hoping my lips pressing back was an adequate response.

As the kiss deepened, I clung onto his white tee as he pushed me down.

His tongue was sliding against the roof of my mouth, his fingers embedded into my blue locks.

And I knew I was drowning.

Until I felt the rough edges of the roof on my back, bringing me back to the reality

Of what was happening so suddenly.

I shot up quickly, too quickly, causing our teeth to crash into one another's, my heart beating so loud in my ears.

He immediately backed away, panting, his face beet red.

I'm sure I wasn't in any better condition though.

"What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" he asked as he shifted to sit next to me.

I shook my head back and forth violently, causing a confused look on his face.

I'm sure I was confusing as hell at that moment but I didn't care.

I needed to hear him say it.

So that _I_ could say it back.

And we could both be sure of whatever was suddenly happening to our friendship.

As if reading my mind, his hand was on mine, his other hand cupping my cheek.

"Nagisa, I tried," he said softly.

And then I was the one with confused look.

He pushed his forehead against mine, his eyes casted down as he continued.

"I tried...to forget about you once. But then you just had to go and end up in the E-Class, huh? And then it was too late."

"Too late for what?" I quietly asked, my voice giving away my nerves.

"Too late for me to turn the other way. You were already here."

He then brought my hand he was holding, up to his chest, right where his heart was.

"Right. Here."

I felt my own heart thumping as I was suddenly consumed with happiness. And love.

So much happiness and love that it was spilling over the brim of my eyes in the form of tears.

Then he brought his other hand up to my other check, causing me to look him in the eyes.

"I love you, Nagisa. I always have and I always will."

And there it was.

And I was smiling and he was smiling, like the two foolish kinds in love that we were.

My tears of happiness were streaming down my cheeks as I responded.

"I…I love you too, Karma. Always have and always will."

And then he kissed me again and again and again.

Until the stars came out, and both of our lips were bruised and swollen.

Until it was time for us to part ways, kissing one more time to say goodbye.

It was a night we both would never forget.

The night we both said out loud what the other wanted to hear.

And what the other needed to hear.

Finally.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

_** All I wanted was a marriage that was something more... ** _

** About 2 Years Ago. **

 

I was on my home from the convenience store,

When I looked up at the sky.

The dark clouds were threatening another storm.

It had been raining a lot recently so I was always prepared with an umbrella in hand.

But still I picked up my pace, my microwavable ramen swishing about in the plastic bag in my other hand.

It was the usual dinner for one.

One very busy college student that is.

At least it didn't taste so bad, I thought.

I looked up again at the sky and decided to take the short cut through the park, back to my apartment.

I scurried across the path,

Watching moms pack up their children for the day

And the runners stretching before they made the run back home.

Even the dog walkers seemed to be tugging their dogs quicker along as a sudden bout of thunder sounded.

Quickly we all tried to make our ways back home but not quick enough.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

Rain drops sprinkled the sidewalk all around me, foreshadowing a downpour.

I hurried over to a nearby park bench and opened my black umbrella.

And as I was about to be on my way, something red caught the corner of my eye.

Red, shaggy hair to be exact.

Belonging to a certain someone I hadn't seen in years.

A certain boy I had a crush on way back in middle school.

But nothing ever came of it.

I mean I was the shy science nerd of the class.

And he was the hottest guy in our classroom and a mischievous genius one at that.

I knew better than to ever think he would look my way.

And now….here he was….I mean I recognized him almost right away,

Well…almost.

His hair was a bit longer than before,

And his legs a bit longer.

But what threw me off the most was how…out of place he looked.

Sitting in the rain, with his head hung, and his posture slumped over.

But he was still the Karma Akabane, sitting in front of me, in the flesh.

So I steadily walked over to him.

Hoping not to startled him, since he seemed so….distraught.

Right away, I noticed the tears streaming down his face.

Never would I have ever thought I would see him crying.

Something was not right.

So without another thought, I took two giants steps and stood over him.

"Karma?"

He didn't look up or acknowledge my presence.

I was used to it at this point in my life.

But still, I leaned my umbrella over to keep the rain off of him and continued to stand there.

That did the trick.

Once the rain was no longer dripping all over him, he looked up to see what the holdup was.

And the holdup was me.

His golden eyes held nothing but sadness and I noticed how red and puffy they were.

Like he had been crying for hours.

I didn't think he recognized me so I broke the silence.

"Um…I'm not sure if you remember me or not but we were both in 3-E together back in middle school. I'm…I'm the girl who tried to poison Korosensei, remember? Manami Okuda? Oh! And I also made a batch of poisonous chocolates for you, remember? Well not for you, but for you to prank someone else…"

I knew I was starting to ramble but I needed something to trigger his memory of me.

Anything.

He continued to give me a blank stare as if he couldn't understand what I was saying.

Oh wait I know!

"Do you remember the time we went on a school field trip to Kyoto? First trip that year? There was me and you and Kayano and Sugino…and…oh and Nagisa! Yeah that's right! Nagisa asked you to be a part of our trip group, remember?"

That seemed to get his attention.

His eyes widened, more tears threatening to spill out.

"Na…na..gi..sa…" he whimpered and then his head was once again hung, his gaze down casted.

My gaze followed his and that's when I noticed the peculiar charm around his neck.

It was that of a silver serpent with sapphire eyes that seem to look right at me.

It looked oddly familiar to me, yet I knew he didn't wear it back in middle school.

But something about the eyes and symbol of it made me feel like I should be able to place its importance.

So I sat down next to him, still holding the umbrella and still staring at the charm.

Suddenly, Karma's long fingers were around it, as if clutching on to it for dear life as he glared at me.

Like he didn't want me to see it.

But then he did something unexpected.

And laid his head on my shoulder, his red damp strands slightly tickling my neck.

The faint smell of spices causing my heartbeat to quicken.

I could feel my school skirt becoming wet from the bench but still I sat, not daring to move.

And then… I waited.

Waited for him to say something else. To recognize me. To say my name. To tell me what was wrong.

Had something happened to Nagisa?

Were they still even close friends?

Why was he crying in the park in the rain?

I think he was just as surprised as I was that I was still sitting there in the rain with him because he suddenly peeked up at me.

So I gave him a small reassuring smile.

And he averted his eyes back down.

But I didn't move.

Because for once in my life, I felt the sudden urge to stand my ground.

To be a rock for someone else.

Or in this particular moment, a shoulder to cry on.

Whether he said anything or not, I just needed to be there for him.

That much I knew.

Because it pained me to see someone I knew hurting.

Especially when that someone was him.

We sat like that for what seemed like hours.

The rain had slowly stopped but I still kept the umbrella above our heads, leaning it on the park bench.

The evening sky was growing darker and the street lights were starting to come on,

When he finally lifted his head off of me and looked at me.

Like really looked at me this time.

His eyes were still puffy and red but I could tell he recognized me before he even said it.

"Thank you…Okuda-san"

I simply smiled at him.

He stood up, stretching his long limbs as he did and then turned to me.

"Here, let's get you home before you catch a cold. Do you live far?"

He held his hand out for me.

Was this guy serious?

Just moments ago he was crying and now I'm the one he's worried about.

I almost wanted to laugh.

But instead, I looked at his outstretched hand, my face becoming quite warm.

I never held a guy's hand before.

But something about his face told me I should probably just take it and not speak of this night to anyone.

I swallowed nervously and put my smaller hand into his.

His hand was cold but comforting as it covered mine.

Pulling me up from the bench, he brought me to a standing positon right in front of him.

I swallowed again realizing how close we were.

I was right though he had grown taller, my height ending at his chest.

Which a wet black shirt clung to, revealing his muscles underneath.

I could feel myself blushing harder as I caught myself admiring his body.

"Uh…Okuda?"

Golden eyes met my purple ones as I looked up at him.

His wet hair now clung to his face and the nape of his neck giving him that 'just got out of the shower' look.

"Ye-yes?" I croaked out.

"Do you usually hold a guy's hand this long right after trying to pick them up from the park?"

I looked down to find my hand was still in his.

"Eh? Uh…No!"

I regrettable took my hand out of his, the comforting feeling washed away.

"So-sorry about that. I guess I kind of zoned out there for a second," I explained.

He laughed that deep dark laugh of his and I knew he was going to be okay.

I laughed too at how ridiculous I probably looked to him.

But I didn't really care.

Because all that mattered in that moment was that he had finally cracked a smile as he proceeded to walk me home.

We took the long way to my apartment, so that we could talk.

We talked about what we had been up to since middle school.

About our high school years and our current college lives.

And then he ended up coming inside my apartment for a cup of tea so we could talk some more.

He talked about his civic exams coming up.

And I talked about my internship in a nearby science lab where I would be testing cell growth and stimulation.

Then after an hour, he realized how late it was and got up to leave.

But not before giving me his number.

So that we could meet up for real this time and not by mistake.

And so he could thank me properly by taking me out to dinner.

He was like a completely different person from the one I had found crying in the park by the time he had left my place.

But when we did meet again, that rainy night was never brought up.

Nor was the reason why he was crying in the first place.

The necklace around his neck disappeared eventually after a month of us hanging out.

And even after a month, I still didn't know what truly went wrong that night I found him.

I wouldn't really find out until months later when I would find him drunk and alone in his apartment.

Sobbing uncontrollably on his couch, his hand clutching that same serpent necklace.

It would take me staying and drinking myself to a stupor since he wouldn't tell me if I was sober.

So down the hatch the beers went until I was flush in the face and slurring my words.

  
And then he finally spilled the beans.

Every single one of them.

Until there was nothing left but a cried out Karma and very heartbroken drunk version of me.

Heartbroken for him.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**_All I wanted was a marriage that was something more..._ **

**Present.**

I don't know how or when I got here but I did.

With nothing but a pair of leggings, a t-shirt and a cardigan, I had walked the 5 blocks to get here,

To this familiar scene in front of me,

The park where I started seeing red.

And here I am, sitting on that very same bench,

The laundry abandoned,

The tea long gone cold,

And my sanity...gone.

All I know is that I needed to get away from that dam necklace

And from that dam house.

As far away as I could so that I could just sit and…think.

Think about that last three years,

Retracing my steps,

Trying to get back to where it all started.

I look up at the grey and weary sky,

that seems to reflect my current mood.

I feel the wind pick up around me

And know it's most likely going to rain.

I almost want to laugh.

Of course it's going to rain.

I am _here_ of all places, and without an umbrella.

The familiar scene like…karma…

Coming back to bite me in the rear.

The I see Karma in my mind, sitting here

heartbroken and abandoned by his first and only love.

Left only to pick up the pieces by himself.

And there was I, readily, no… _eagerly_ right by his side

To help, to mend, to…heal him.

And throughout that whole messy process, I fell for him and hard.

I couldn't even fathom why the hell Nagisa left him in the first place.

Nor did I ever want to understand.

I was indefinitely on Karma's side.

When he first told how it ended, a part of me did want to hunt down that bluenette and tell him to stop being an idiot.

But I never did…

Because for once in my life I decided to be something I never was before.

Something I've always wanted to have a hand at but never had the courage or confidence to do so.

And that something was to be selfish.

Even when Karma begged me to not hide the necklace from him, I told him it was for his own good.

Even when I thought I saw hints of blue hair everywhere we went, I bravely linked my arm into his and held Karma close.

And even when the letters started showing up at Karma's apartment (where I started to stay since it was closer to my lab), I hid every single one from him.

Knowing full well who they were from, even with the return address missing.

I just knew.

I am human however and one day decided to open one up, just to confirm,

Only to find myself drowning in guilt.

I vowed to never open another one again.

They eventually stopped, once our engagement was announced.

And I thought I had finally gotten rid of Karma's little _blue_ problem.

I mean, I wasn't trying to be cruel.

All I wanted was for him to be mine, that's all.

To prove that the nerdy girl can prevail.

That she can get the hot, unavailable guy who was totally out of her league at one point in time.

And I did…didn't I?

I mean, I am the winner in all of this.

I am the one who not only gets to share his last name but also a bed, a home and a life with.

So why does this all make me feel like I'm the fool in this charade of his?

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

The rain shows up on time and I know I'll never make it back home dry.

So I sit, sulking until there is something over my head.

A bright red umbrella.

MY bright red umbrella.

That same one I left in the cafe weeks ago.

I look up at the person holding my umbrella and the first thing I notice is his hair.

Strawberry blonde hair to be exact.

If I had only glanced at him, I would have assumed he was Karma.

But his eyes are not golden.

They are purple, like lilacs in the spring.

I know I have seen those eyes before but I am having a hard time placing them.

"Miss, are you alright?"

That voice sounds familiar too…

"Pardon my intrusion but I do believe you left this umbrella in the café a few weeks? I have had it ever since, so glad I have run into you again."

I blink at him.

"That probably sounds like I'm stalking you huh? Well in truth, you do look familiar but truly this all a coincidence. I just happen to be in the same place, at the same time as you. I say, we have to stop meeting like this or people might think something is going on, don't you agree?"

I feel a blush creeping across my cheeks at his last line.

Who is this guy? I don't even remember seeing him in the café that day. Then again, I was too busy stalking my own husband so who's to say this guy isn't lying?

I must look like I'm at a loss for words since he suddenly extends his other hand out to me.

"I'm sorry, I should probably introduce myself before I dig a deeper hole, I'm Asano. Asano Gakushuu. And you are?"

Asano…wait… _the_ Asano from middle school?

I'm flabbergasted and not even sure what to say.

Then I see his hand still held out for me…like Karma's was all those years ago….

I look back at those purple eyes and smile as I put my smaller hand into his.

"Okuda. Okuda Manami. Pleasure to meet you, Asano-kun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thank you to all my readers. I promise to reguarly update this from here on out. <3  
> PS: I do not own Assassnation Classroom...sadly.


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